Prior art vehicular warning light systems commonly include a taillight assembly, headlight assembly, brake light assembly, turn signal assembly, and an emergency flasher assembly, all employing incandescent light bulbs. Each of these assemblies operates in a well-known manner to illuminate the roadway, to indicate an impending stop or slowdown, indicate an impending turn, or indicate an emergency condition of some nature.
Conventional vehicular warning lighting systems suffer from certain drawbacks under modern driving conditions. For example, emergency flashers, which are standard equipment on motor vehicles, require that a vehicle occupant operate the flashers by pressing a switch that is usually located on or near a vehicle's steering column. Typically, these flashers are employed by the driver when the driver is in a distressful situation or to warn others including other drivers, of the vehicle's presence. Therefore, if the driver or other occupant cannot activate the flashers, other drivers will not become aware of a driver's peril or the vehicle's presence.
Another conventional vehicular warning lighting system is the use of brake lights. The driver must apply the brakes in order to activate this warning device to alert others of a potential hazard. Even if the driver does activate the system, occasions can arise where there is still insufficient warning to others. For example, in the situation where a leading vehicle applies a conventional brake light system used to indicate that the vehicle is slowing down or stopping, a following vehicle may not have sufficient time to stop because the following vehicle may be located too close to the leading vehicle such that the brake lights of the leading vehicle cannot be seen in sufficient time to allow the following vehicle to stop. Additionally, on very sunny days, the intensity of the brake lights is such that a driver may not be able to determine whether the brakes have been applied in the leading vehicle.
Other forms of vehicular warning systems include horns, flares or a white flag or towel displayed on the vehicle to indicate that the driver is in distress. In each of these cases, however, these warning systems require driver intervention.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a vehicular warning system which indicates to others that a vehicle or its occupants are experiencing a hazardous condition or are in a dangerous position, but which does not require any intervention from the driver of that vehicle.